Additional alleged Taucher victims sought
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro answers questions following a news conference Thursday at Washington City Hall.
Josh Shapiro
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro speaks at a news conference Thursday at Washington City Hall concerning charges against a Burgettstown funeral director. At right, is Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro made his first appearance in Washington County since taking office to ask other alleged victims of Taucher Funeral Home’s owner to come forward.
“We believe there are additional victims out there,” Shapiro said Thursday during a news conference in Washington City Hall.
Lynn Sue Taucher, 56, owner of Taucher Funeral Home, 23 Erie Mine Road, was arraigned Feb. 2 on 46 felony counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, three misdemeanor counts of the same offense and one count each of forgery and insurance fraud. She is accused of collecting $340,000 for prepaid funerals and comingling it in a personal account she allegedly used for gambling and business expenses.
“The majority of these victims we’ve discovered are in nursing homes,” said Shapiro. “These are frail individuals who are on fixed incomes, who were taken advantage of by Taucher.”
Funeral directors are required by law to place deposits into individual escrow accounts. From 2006 through 2016, Taucher allegedly accepted money from her clients and did not place it in escrow accounts, nor did she report the money received to the state as required, according to court documents.
Taucher reportedly admitted to investigators that the money she collected was placed in her personal bank account, which is the same account she drew from to support her gambling habit, authorities said. Taucher allegedly told an investigator that she spends as much as $500 a week gambling. She also admitted putting the prepaid funeral money in with her own and said she always has operated her business in that way, according to court documents. She reportedly told the investigator that it was not her intention to defraud anyone.
Jeffrey S. Weinberg, Taucher’s attorney, told the Observer-Reporter his client was not comingling the funds, but rather “failed to make proper deposit on preneed accounts.” He said all pre-need money is now in an escrow account and that it is “fully funded.” He called the attorney general’s information in the affidavit “inaccurate” and said that no funeral home customer will go without what they paid for.
According to Deputy Attorney General Courtney Butterfield, Taucher set up a single escrow account in November 2016 in which she deposited funds, about a year after the investigation began. Butterfield said the creation of that account “does not fix the legal problem” and “does not negate the crime.”
The alleged victims gave Taucher amounts ranging from $600 to $11,000.
Upon learning of the investigation, some clients who had given Taucher money contacted the funeral home and had their money refunded, said Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone. He said his office will pursue compensation programs for victims.
According to Butterfield, the funeral home is still operating and Taucher retains her license from the state Board of Funeral Directors.
“Right now, we’re focused on prosecuting this case and finding other victims,” Shapiro said.
Kathleen K. Ryan, executive director and general counsel for the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, told the Observer-Reporter there is a strong possibility that Taucher could lose her license if she is found guilty of the charges.
According to Vittone, the discrepancies came to light after a family member of a client who had given Taucher money contacted the state board of funeral directors, who notified the state attorney general’s office.
Taucher waived the charges to court Feb. 2 and was released on $20,000 unsecured bond. She is scheduled to be formally arraigned April 21.
Potential victims or their families can contact the attorney general’s office at 412-565-2192 or visit www.attorneygeneral.gov.
Staff writer Kathie Warco contributed to this report.